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David Huse retired in 1999 and soon found that
he needed something to occupy his time. He had
always enjoyed wine and so he began helping out
at another winery. After helping there, David
was hooked. In 2000 he decided to start a small
winery to keep him busy.
The first vintage consisted of 120 cases of Cabernet
Sauvignon. In 2001, production increased, doubling
the Cabernet and adding the same amount of Merlot.
The 2000 Cabernet was bottled, and David began
to realize they needed their own space.
In August 2002, remodeling began at the current
site. In September, the first crush occurred at
the winery, and everything was moved in. Production
increased during this time, as David’s son,
Matt, was taking over as winemaker. While adding
a small amount of Syrah, they made approximately
1450 cases.
The tasting room opened in December 2002 for
the Barrel Tasting weekend, and the 2000 Cabernet
Sauvignon was released. The release was a huge
success and the first vintage sold out in no time.
For 2003, the production was doubled again. David
has since turned over the wine making and other
day-to-day duties to Matt. David now concentrates
on marketing and distribution of Five Star wines.
Five Star Cellars continues to be a family run
business. David and Matt’s wives, Sandy
and Traci, help with the office side of the business.
Traci also does the merchandising, and handles
some of the Wine Club management. During the Spring
Release and Barrel Tasting weekends, extra family
members are on hand to help keep everything running
smoothly.
Matt Huse was born and raised in the Walla Walla
Valley. He graduated from Walla Walla High School
in 1996. Matt attended Walla Walla Community College
completing the Carpentry Program. After graduating
in 1998, he began working for a local contractor.
During the three years of construction, Matt
had the opportunity to work on a few wineries
in the Valley. As he was working on the wineries,
observing the production of wine, Matt decided
that he didn’t want to “pound nails”
for the rest of his life. With David already making
a small amount of wine, Matt made the decision
to enroll at the Walla Walla Community College
once again. He entered the Enology and Viticulture
Program in the Winter of 2001 with the first participating
class. The 2002 vintage was his first as a winemaker.
After graduating in 2003, he began his life dream
and dedication to produce a “Five Star”
quality wine.
Five Star Cellars strives to produce quality
red wines. The name itself depicts excellence
and class. We hope that you enjoy our wines as
much as we do.
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